Resumes & Cover Letters

Creating Your Resume

1. Gather Information

First brainstorm and identify what you have accomplished in terms of education, training, and experience. Start with what you are currently involved in, and then work backwards. This should be a comprehensive list which you will then edit to include only the most relevant information. Include any field work (internships), paid employment, volunteer work, activities, memberships, etc. The categories listed below may be helpful.

Education

Honors / Awards

Field or Internship Experience

Related Experience

Research Experience

Leadership Experience

Professional Experience

Management Experience

Athletic Experience

Military Experience

Customer Service Experience

Freelance Experience

Interests / Hobbies

Performance Experience

Travel Experience

Training / Development Experience

College Employment

Community Service

College Activities

Memberships

Foreign Study

Computer Skills / Expertise

Continuing Education

Writing Experience

Presentations

2. Organize Your Content

Present the most relevant information first. For a student teaching resume, Education should come first, beginning with your most recent institution. See sample resumes for additional formatting suggestions. References do not need to be included in the resume, but consider opening a Credential File in Career Services.

3. Create Experience Categories

Categories should be specific. If everything is listed under "Experience" or "Work Experience", then as a reader it will take me much longer to sort through the kind of experience referred to in each position. Categories may include RELATED experience, TEACHING experience, TUTORING experience, LEADERSHIP experience, etc. A position as a substitute teacher, summer camp counselor, tutor, or day care provider would be related experience for someone seeking to teach.

4. Develop a Dynamic Description

The descriptions you develop are critical to the success of your resume. These descriptions demonstrate how effectively you can assemble and prioritize information, and how you can communicate in writing. During this process, you will compile more information than you need to include. The editing phase is designed to identify the information that you really want your reader to learn about each experience you list.

What did you do? This section focuses on the activities of the job and the clientele. Ask yourself: How much? How often? How did you do this? For whom? Duties? Responsibilities? Results? If you are providing services to students/clients (i.e., teachers and social workers), ask: How many? Setting? Ages? Disabilities, if any?

What are your skills? When assessing each experience, consider the following skill areas, keeping in mind that this is not a full list: Communication, Organization, Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Writing, Coordination of Efforts, Flexibility, Leadership, Management, Computer, Problem Resolution, Planning, Independence, Ability to Prioritize.

What was your most significant accomplishment? This step is important for two reasons. First, it helps you define what holds importance for you, and therefore will help you edit your descriptions. In addition, it helps clarify and prioritize your experiences so that you can confidently discuss them in interviews. Your most significant accomplishment is something you should probably list first in your description.

5. Edit & Pull it all Together

This is a critical point in resume development. You want your resume to be strong, not long.

Survey your list and highlight the information that you clearly want your reader to know. Make sure to include information that most closely resembles the type of work you seek.

Descriptions should use sentence fragments, not complete sentences. This helps keep your document concise. Do not use pronouns such as "I" or "we". Typically, use 3-4 sentence fragments for each key description, or use a bulleted format for your most important experiences. See sample resumes.

Begin your sentence fragments with action verbs, e.g., "Developed and implemented creative unit on the environment." Avoid starting sentence fragments with "Responsible for ..." For help with writing your sentence fragments, you can click here for a list of action verbs.

Samples

Creating Your Cover Letter

General Guidelines

Always address it to a specific person. If you do not have a name, call the organization and ask for the name and title of the person in charge of the department in which you want to work.

Use an accepted professional format for your letter (see samples below). Make sure there are no spelling, grammatical, or typographical errors.

Have someone proofread the letter for you.

Limit your letter to one page.

Make sure you follow through. If you indicate you will call within one week, make sure you do, or you will look disinterested and unreliable.

Opening Paragraph

Clearly state what it is you are seeking, e.g., "I am interested in applying for the position of __________, advertised in the __________, on (date)".

If you are applying to an organization that has not advertised, or has not been specific in its job posting, clearly state your objective, e.g., "I am interested in obtaining an entry-level position in sales."

If an acquaintance of yours has given you a suggestion of someone you might contact, state this up front, e.g. "Bob Jones suggested I contact you regarding employment opportunities in your firm."

After researching the organization, learning all you can about their services, and what their needs might be, clearly target your objective to match their needs/services.

If the degree you hold is critical to the position, mention it in this section, e.g., "I hold a B.S. in Accounting from Nazareth College."

Let them know you have done your homework; say something flattering about the organization (be specific if you can), e.g., "(Name of organization) has an excellent reputation (locally, nationally, globally) for __________ and I would like to become part of your team."

Body of Letter

Write one or two paragraphs describing your education, special skills, talents, and accomplishments that will make you an asset to the organization.

Focus on how you can be of value to the organization, rather than on how they can be of value to you.

Become knowledgeable about the language (buzz words) typically used in the area you are pursuing; use this language in your letter.

Highlight in detail particular aspects of your resume specifically related to your job target, e.g., "As indicated on the attached resume, I have experience in __________. Of particular importance to you might be my (accomplishments/skills/experience) in the area of ___________."

Make the most direct possible connection between the job you are after and your experience/education.

If you claim expertise in an area, be sure to substantiate your comments through examples of performance.

Closing Paragraph

Be specific regarding your plan or action, e.g., "I will call you within (one week/two weeks) to arrange a meeting."

Alternatively, you can indicate that you look forward to hearing from the employer (include your current phone number). It is, however, advisable for you to follow-up with the employer to check on the status of your resume/application.

If you are looking for more information, clearly state this, e.g., "I am interested in more information regarding this position, and would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you."

Thank them e.g., "Thank you for your consideration."

Note enclosures at the bottom of the letter; indicate attachments or enclosures if appropriate. If you want, you can include what the enclosure is, e.g., "Enclosure: Resume."